Shillong, Oct 6 (FN Agency) Meghalaya has sought more central support for small hydro projects and renewable energy to meet the growing power demands in the state, State Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal said on Friday. Mondal, who led a high-level delegation, participated in a crucial meeting organised by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on Thursday at New Delhi. The meeting chaired by Union Power Minister Power and Renewable Energy, R.K.Singh was aimed at fostering sustainable energy solutions in the northeastern region Highlighting the progress and challenges faced by Meghalaya in the renewable energy sector, Mondal informed Singh about various initiatives undertaken by the State government to promote renewable energy through a demand-driven and problem-solving approach. Emphasising the importance of ensuring energy security for the people of Meghalaya and the North-Eastern states, he said the Meghalaya government has launched the Chief Minister’s Solar Mission (CM Solar Mission) to revolutionize energy access in the state.
Moreover, Mondal said the state government has successfully implemented Solar Cold Storage and Solar Food Processing units, enabling efficient and sustainable energy utilisation in the state, “These initiatives not only ensure energy security but also contribute to the preservation of agricultural produce and support local industries,” the Power Minister said. Mondal said that the Union Minister has agreed to look into the request of the state government to review the financial support or subsidy given to small hydro project (SHP), which was has been stopped for sometimes now, to the tune of Rs. 7.5 crore per MW for a SHP of 1 to 25 MW. Noting that Meghalaya Meghalaya is having huge potential on Pump Storage Projects (PSP), Mondal said that the delegation had requested the Union Power Minister to provide financial and technical assistance to four Pump Storage Projects to ease away the power crisis of the state.
“The Pump Storage Projects were identified with the technical support of NTPC having capacity of about 3,100 MW,” he said. Commissioner and Secretary Power, Sanjay Goyal has proposed the concept of floating solar panels as an innovative solution for Meghalaya. “This technology can harness solar energy efficiently by utilizing water bodies in the state, thereby maximizing energy generation and land use,” Goyal said. Director of MNREDA Joram Beda also raised concerns during the meeting regarding the challenges faced by Meghalaya in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) program. Among the other suggestions given by the state were increased Central Financial Assistance in the Solar Roof Top scheme, exploring the possibilities of Joint Venture in Solar Parks and Pump Storage Scheme.